murals
Church of Panagia (Mother Mary) / Church of Agia Ekaterini (St. Catherine) (Ano Viannos)
The hamlet of Ano Viannos is home to many important churches, including the church of Panagia i Liontarini (Mother Mary of the Lion), where, according to tradition, there was an artful Venetian marble lion, and the 14th century church of Agia Ekaterini (built in 1360) with well-preserved murals.
Church of Sotiras Christos (Christ the Redeemer) (Kassani)
The Kassani region includes many churches of the Late Byzantine era with noteworthy murals. One of these is the church of Sotiras Christos, at the village centre, beside the old fountain. The surviving murals depict the Birth, the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, the Baptism of Jesus, the Last Supper, etc.
Agios Panteleimon (St. Pantaleon) (Bitzariano)
The Byzantine church of Agios Panteleimon, dating back to the 10th century, is a three-aisled basilica with two rows of colonnades. It is possible that, in antiquity, there was an Asclepeion at the site of the church. The aisles are dedicated to Saint Pantaleon, the Life-giving Font and Saint John. Few murals survive today, on […]
Agios Nikitas (St. Nicetas) (Achentrias)
The holy pilgrimage of Agios Nikitas, located on the eastern side of the Asteroussia mountain range, near a small palm forest, is a cavernous church dedicated to Saint Nicetas that dates back to the 17th century. Agios Nikitas, where few murals survive, was initially a hermitage for the monks of Koudoumas Monastery. Subsequently, from 1948 […]
Church of Michail Archangelos (Archangel Michael) (Arkalochori)
The Byzantine cross-vaulted church dedicated to the Archangel Michael is located in the cemetery of Arkalochori. The church contains 14th and 15th century murals from the Cretan school of hagiography.
Church of Zoodochos Pigi (Life-Giving Font) (Agies Paraskies)
The village of Agies Paraskies contains the ruins of numerous Byzantine churches, five of which are dedicated to Saint Paraskevi, after whom the village was named. The 11th century Church of Agia Zoni also survives; its murals have been destroyed by whitewash coatings, but it contains certain old icons.
The Church of Panagia at Kapetaniana
The small livestock farmers settlement of Kapetaniana is located on the eastern part of the sierra of Asterousia, in an area where monasticism thrived in the period of the early Venetian occupation, as is evinced from the large number of churches and hermitages that survive until this day. Inside the settlement is the church of […]
Saint George & Saint Constantine at Pyrgos
The nave and the south aisle, dedicated to St. George and St. Constantine respectively, are the only remains of the original three-aisled church today. The present, north, aisle of St. George has mural painting of the end of the 13th century, characteristic of the antiquated art of the period in which six scenes from the […]
Holy Monastery of Koudoumas
The monastery is located at the south foot of mount Kofina, close to the sea, in a place full of ascetic memories. Even though the date of foundation is unknown, the sources confirm that it was not only functioning during the 14th century but it also had a school. This is the sole reference until […]
Holy Monastery of Odegetria
The monastery of Odegetria [All-Holy Virgin ‘She who leads the Way’] is located to the southwest of the sierra of Asterousia between the settlement of Listaro and the bay of Kaloi Limenes in an area with a continuous monastic presence for centuries. Even though the catholicon of the monastery has mural paintings of the 14th […]
